Dr. Reed's History Students Creating COVID-19 Archive

During the first week of distance learning, Dr. Jordan Reed’s history students have been creating a COVID-19 archive by sharing journal entries, artwork and videos as a personal record of their experience.  

In their journal entries, some students are writing about their experiences in social isolation. They discuss how their daily activities have changed, what their neighborhood looks like, and whether they see signs of hope. Other students are using artwork, music, memes and videos to portray their feelings about the health crisis. 

In each case, the entries are powerful because they are personal. Students are writing about playing card games with their family, learning to cook a meal, binge watching a TV series, and being “swamped in boredom.” They are sharing paintings of a family walk and photographs of bare shelves in grocery stores and empty streets.        

“We are living in unprecedented times as a School community; that much is clear,” said Dr. Reed. “One day in the future historians will study this moment and write about it. When they do, they will turn to the archives our society leaves behind.”

Dr. Reed plans to display the completed archive in Anderson Library once students and faculty finally return to School.